Lightning-arrester.



PATlEiNTTiD MAY 12; 1903.

H. E. RAYMOND.

LIGHTNING ARRESTER.

APPLIUATIQN FILED JULY 22, 189% N0 MODEL. Fig. I.

| U I I I v inventor:

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'rnz NORRIS PETERS co mom-um: \vAsmuoTuu n r UNITED ST TES Patented May 12, 1903.

P TENT OFFICE.

HENRY E. RAYMOND, OF SOHENECTADY, NEW'YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

LIGHTNING QPECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 727,688, dated. May 12, 1903.

Application filed July 22,1899. Serial No. 724,772. (No model.) i

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY E. RAYMOND, a citizen of the United States, residing at Schenectady, county of Schenectady, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lightning-Arresters, (Case No. 1,342,) of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to improvements in lightning-arresters; and the function of devices constructed in accordance therewith is to provide a path of increased facility for the lightning charge, with means for effectually preventing the following through of the linecurrent to continue the arc.

The invention consists of various elements, the offices and character of which are described herein and particularly pointed out in the claims. i

The difficulty with previously-existinglightning-arresters has been to obtain a mean be-. tween those having a striking distance too. great for the lightning and thoseh'aving air gaps permitting the continuation of wastefuland destructive arcs by the line-currents. The object of, the arresters constructed in accordance with this invention is-to provide means for furnishing an easier-path for the lightning charge, whereby the air-gaps mayv be increased to such an extent that arcs can not be maintained across them by the line current. r V p I have found that the capacity of dis chargers is increased by reducing, the mass, and hence the capacityof dischargers which are made hollow is greater than that of solid. dischargers. The action of a discharger oflarge mass in conducting heat away from the air-gap surfaces is lost to a large extentinthis case; but this heat will becarriedofiby radiation from the exterior surfaces and be conducted through the thin wall to the inner surfaces of the hollow body and the radiation greatly facilitated by exposing these inner surfaces. I have found also that if auxiliary members,consistin g of pieces of metalor hard rubber or of other substances,'be held in prox imity to air-gaps between metallic discharger-s the resonant or capacity effect appears to be increased, the arresters discharge more freely, and the air-gaps may be widened to the extent of effectually preventing thelinevcurrent from continuing an are over the gap without danger of the lightning charge breaking down the line-insulation. In practice to obtain this result I have mounted pieces of brass upon the tops of the dischargers, the pieces extending over the nearest air gap or gaps. The discharge in this case does not .differ in location from that commonly occurring in the ordinary arrester provided with metallic dischargers-that is, the pieces themselves do not carry the charge, but increase the-tendency of the latter to jump across the air-gap from one discharger to the next with out in any manner afiecting the action of the line-current, which-has relatively lowfrequency. The above resultis also effectively accomplished by the auxiliary members when the dischargers have non-metallic centers, as in the case of large capacity hollow dischargers; but these auxiliary members may be attached to the ordinary solid discharger.

:7 Of the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan of a-single arrester embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevationof the same.- Fig. 3 is a plan of'a double arrester, also embodying my invention, each-side of the line being adapt- -edto, discharge to ground through the terminal T"; and-Fig. 4 is a sectional view of one of the dischargers. j

suitably-insulated plate A, as of slate, for-ins the baseupon which the terminals T and TL'and the dischargers D are" mounted.

The terminals T are adapted to be'connected with the line and T with theground.

Mounted upon the dischargers D by any suitable means, as by the screws S, are the auxiliary members or teasers X, in such position that they bridge over the adjacent air-gaps. A i v The dischargers D-are or may be hollow,

"with nonrmetallic centers or ,postsP, having a screw-threaded endof 'smalle rdiamet'er' by "lationof air. fl Iprefer to insert non-inductive resistances -R=in series with the air-gapsfor the purpose of blocking the line-current, and these resistances, which are best formed of short carbon IOO rods, are supported in clips or brackets C. This is the standard form of arrester and operates most effectively; but the invention is not limited to the applications herein disclosed, but maybe adapted to various types of arresters.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. In a lightning-arrester, the combination with on p-shaped dischargers arranged in proximity to each other to include air-gaps be tween them, a base, posts secured in said base, and means for securing the closed ends of the dischargers to the tops of the posts, so that the lower edges of the dischargers are held above the base to permit a free circulation of air.

2. In a lightning-arrester, the combination of metallic dischargers separated from each other by an air-gap, and a metallic strip or projection of metal carried by one discharger and extending toward but not into contact with an adjacent discharger for facilitating a discharge of lightning across said air-gap.

3. In a lightning'arrester, the combination of dischargers separated by an air-gap, and a conducting strip or member electrically connected to one of said dischargers and extending toward an adjacent discharger but separated from the latter by a distance not less than the length of said air-gap.

t. In a lightning-arrester, the combination by side and separated by an air-gap, and an auxiliary member consisting of a piece of metal mounted on and electrically connected to one discharger and extending into the vicinity of an adjacent discharger.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 20th day of July, 1899.

HENRY E. RAYMOND.

Witnesses:

BENJAMIN B. HULL, MABEL E. JACOBSON. 

